Georgia City Council Weighs New Security Measures Following Mass Shooting

Georgia City Council Weighs New Security Measures Following Mass Shooting

The decision to add metal detectors to a municipal building in Marrietta, Ga. is getting moved forward following the Virginia Beach mass shooting.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jun 04, 2019

The conversation surrounding security at a Georgia city municipal building has shifted in meaning for the Marrietta City Council after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach that killed 12 city workers and injured four more, according to the Marrietta Daily Journal.

“The people in public work, and that was the people in Virginia Beach, the public workers employed at the city, all of us are so vulnerable these days,” said Councilman Grif Chalfant.

Chalfant requested the city’s Public Safety Committee discuss purchasing portable metal detectors to use before meetings at City Hall. The discussion of purchasing metal detectors for Marietta’s City Hall has been a topic for the city council for a while, but the committee is now pushing the plan forward to the full council.

The city already has experience with metal detectors, as last February one was added to the courthouse in downtown Marrietta. Those entering the courthouse must be scanned by the metal detector, which is currently manned by Cobb County Police and the Cobb’s Sheriff’s Department deputies during all hours that the building is open to the public.

This new plan for metal detectors at the City Hall would only be to scan those coming in for committee meetings for now. Mayor Steve Tumlin said expanding to scanning entrants throughout the day could be on the table in the future.

The plan for additional security comes after 12 people were killed in a shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach. The suspected shooter in that case was an employee of the city and used an access card to gain entrance to the city building.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.